Strike by opposition alliance cripples life in Bangladesh

A one-day hartal by ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia's 20-party opposition alliance demanding cancellation of last week's constitutional amendment threw normal life out of gear across Bangladesh Monday.

Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies have called the strike to protest the latest constitutional amendment empowering parliament members to impeach apex court judges, describing it as a conspiracy, Xinhua reported.

The Bangladesh parliament Wednesday unanimously passed the constitutional amendment to regain its power to impeach apex court judges. Parliament members will be able to impeach any judge for his or her misconduct or incapacity once the bill comes into effect.

Clashes, arson, and vandalism have been reported across the country Monday. Protestors clashed with police when they vandalised vehicles and set fire to police vans and buses in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country.

Dozens of people, including protestors and policemen, were injured in clashes in major cities and towns including Dhaka.

The hartal crippled normal life and business transaction to some extent with many main markets and educational institutions closed. Traffic on the city streets remained thin as most private vehicles were kept off roads.

Most shops and other business establishments also downed their shutters and vehicles were rare on the usually-clogged city streets.

Security forces dispersed protesters as they tried to hold marches along major roads in Dhaka and many other parts of the country. Dozens of activists of the opposition parties were detained in different parts of the country during the hartal.

Although inter-district buses stayed off the roads, the authorities claimed that operation of trains, launches and flights were usual.

Law enforcers were out in the capital's streets early in the morning and appeared firm not to let the pro-hartal pickets gather anywhere in the city.

Hasina's ruling Bangladesh Awami League leaders and activists were seen trying to bring out an anti-hartal procession on the streets of Dhaka.

Lawyers loyal to BNP and its allies have boycotted the Supreme Court as part of their countrywide boycott programme demanding cancellation of the latest constitutional amendment.

The Bangladeshi cabinet last month gave its nod to the proposal to amend the country's constitution to empower parliament members to impeach apex court judges.

In Bangladesh's 1972 constitution, Article 96 allowed parliament to impeach Supreme Court judges for proven offences or incapability by the vote of a two-thirds majority.

Late president Ziaur Rahman, founder of the BNP, later cancelled it and bestowed the power to a Supreme Judicial Council through the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.

According to the existing constitutional provision, the Supreme Judicial Council comprising the chief justice and two other seniormost judges of the Appellate Division investigates allegations of misconduct against any judge and makes necessary recommendations to the president.

The president then takes steps according to the suggestions.